Like Thorns
by RainbowDays
Summary: He was way over on the wrong side of the tracks, and yet she still tried to pull him back over. Everything she had ever known hung on his decision. Rated M for language and dark and adult themes. THEODORExOC.
1. Disappointments

**Good day, fellow Potterheads. Here is a brand spanking new Fic that will use characters no one really cares about. But hey, do I care? Nope. **

**Also, for this fic please discard all images you've ever had of Theodore Nott! He will be very different to what he is perceived as in the book. **

**The romance progression will be unfortunately slow, for I want the chemistry to be realistic for the characters.**

**HAVE FUN!**

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"Have you got everything?"

"Yes mum." Elizabeth Penley pushed the too big sleeves of her brand new robes further up her arms.

"Wand?"

"Yes." Elizabeth produced her eleven-and-three-quarter inch slightly springy yew with phoenix feather core from her pocket and waved it in front of her mother.

"Owl?"

"Yes."

"Books? Cauldron?"

"Yes mum!" Elizabeth jumped up to give her mum and dad a big hug. She turned to join her older sister at the door of the carriage.

"You'll be in all red and gold soon!" Her mother said proudly.

"Have fun sweetheart, okay? We'll see you at Christmas! Make sure you write to us!" Her father shouted from the platform.

"I will!" Elizabeth waved furiously to her parents as the train began to move from the station.

"Come on Lizzie, we need to get a seat." Her big sister Rowan said, dragging her along by the arm.

…

This was it. This was what she had waited her whole life for. This was what she had wanted for as long as she could remember. Elizabeth Penley was about to join her siblings in the best house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

_Gryffindor. _

Lizzie confidently strode down the centre of the great hall with the rest of the first year students, passing the faces of her soon-to-be house-mates. As she approached her sister Rowan, she gave the widest smile she ever given anyone ever, which was returned with a reassuring pat on her back. Elizabeth was still looking for her brother William when the crowd stopped moving and she bumped into the person in front.

"Sorry," said Lizzie, smoothing down her robes.

A boy with shaggy black hair and big round glasses turned around and smiled at her. "It's okay," He said politely. "I'm Harry,"

"Lizzie." she grinned as she shook his hand.

The batty old lady at the front began to speak about the strange pointed hat she held in her hand. _That's it! _Lizzie thought. _That's the sorting hat! _

Her excitement bubbled to a whole new level as other first years were sorted. That strange looking Professor McGonagall was calling out each student's name, but Lizzie was too deep in her own imagination to notice. It was only when the Professor called out her name did her trance break.

"Penley, Elizabeth," McGonagall spoke with the hat in her hand. Lizzie's heart was beating so rapidly in her chest that she was worried it might break through her ribs. She scanned the Gryffindor table to see the smiling faces of her brother and sister before the hat darkened her vision.

"Hmm," it whispered to her. "I see your courage and bravery, yes, no doubting that, and I see you come from a whole of family Gryffindors, right back to your great-grandparents. But this," he paused to deliberate the decision, and Lizzie's heart had jumped into her throat with anticipation. "This is different. You're not like your family; you have more cunning and ambition to be great than they'll ever have, and it seems your strong sense of friendship sets you apart, too. So it seems it must be- SLYTHERIN!"

_WHAT?!_

Had she just heard it right? _Slytherin?_

The hat rose from her head and her eyes were almost brimming with tears. She saw the faces of Rowan and William who were shocked beyond belief, and then she shifted her gaze to the cheering and clapping Slytherin table. Slowly, Lizzie made her way over to her new house.

She was upset. No, upset wasn't the word. Mortified, devastated, crushed, shattered and trampled were better words to describe how she felt. This wasn't right; she was supposed to be sat with her siblings in the Lion's den, not here in the snake pit!

"I'm Pansy," a little dark haired girl called from directly across the table, reaching out to shake Lizzie's hand. "Pansy Parkinson."

"Elizabeth Penley." replied Lizzie timidly, taking her new house-mate's hand.

"Can I call you Lizzie?" said Pansy.

"Okay," Elizabeth beginning to question whether or not her siblings had been telling the truth about who Slytherins were really. That Pansy girl seemed nice enough, but what would the others be like?

"Now _that_ is some mane of hair you've got,"

Lizzie looked to the right of Pansy, her eyes settling on a thin, brown haired boy who she had seen sorted into Slytherin during the ceremony. He kept moving his brown-eyed gaze around her hair as if it were as tall as a skyscraper.

"Um, thank you?" Lizzie said uncertainly, wondering whether the boy meant it as a compliment or an insult.

Of course, Lizzie had been waiting for someone to comment on her aggressively curly hair, tangling around her like bramble left to grow for a hundred years. The dark brown curls stopped just short of her waist, as she wanted them to grow thinking it would calm the tresses as the weight increased on her roots.

Needless to say, it didn't work.

Her mane was still as wild as ever, surrounding her round cheeks like someone had just dragged her through a bush backwards. Lizzie was quite positive it would reach her knees if ever straightened.

"Theodore Nott," the brunette boy said, reaching out to shake Lizzie's had just the same as Pansy did. Well, if there was one good impression she was getting from these people, it was politeness.

"Lizzie," she said, taking the Theodore's pale hand.

The feast began when the last person to be sorted –a dark skinned student called Blaise Zabini- sauntered over to the Slytherin table. He promptly sat down in between Pansy and a platinum-haired boy, earning a look of distaste from her.

Lizzie didn't really eat much, although she was hungry enough to eat the entire tables' worth of food. She was picking at her half eaten chocolate éclair when it disappeared from her plate. The Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, was talking about some banned corridor or something, and that first years shouldn't go into the Forbidden Forest. When he finally stopped talking, a tall 7th year girl with short black hair stood and shouted, "First years, with me!"

Lizzie rose to her feet to stand beside Pansy as the group left the great hall and weaved their way through the many corridors of the castle. "Where are going? And who's that older student in front?" Lizzie asked Pansy after a long while.

"To the Slytherin Common Room; it's in the dungeons, you see, under the Black Lake. And _she_ is a Prefect. It's like you're a police officer of Hogwarts, you get to give out detentions and take away points and everything. I hope to be one when I get to 5th year." said Pansy in one long breath.

Lizzie's eyes widened. "_The dungeons? _Are you serious?" she squealed quietly, completely ignoring Pansy's ramble about the Prefect.

"Deadly. My brother says that during the day, the common room's green because of the light on the lake. He says it's really nice, actually."

Lizzie's tears began to resurface. She should've been making her way towards the rooms of red and gold right now, but instead she was doomed to green and silver for the rest of her Hogwarts Education.

_Bloody brilliant._

_…_

When Lizzie had finally made it up to her bed in the dorm, she'd met every one of her roommates. There was Pansy Parkinson, a chubby girl called Millicent Bulstrode, a tall and blonde haired girl called Daphne Greengrass (who made Lizzie feel very intimidated) and a strange looking glasses-wearing girl called Tracey Davis.

It was simple, her room. It was just a large, round space with five four-poster beds pushed against the walls, each separated by a grand window. The bed sheets were a bright emerald green, and the drapes were the same shade and lined with slivers of silver.

"So," Pansy began, flopping onto her green-and-silver four poster bed. "I'm a pure-blood. Best there is, really. What about you, Millicent?"

The round faced girl sat down on her own bed cross-legged with her quilt draped around her shoulders. "Same, I'm a pure-blood too."

Pansy's eyes widened. "Daphne, Tracey?" Both girls nodded excitedly from their beds. "This is brilliant! We've got a pure-blood dorm!"

Pansy finally turned to Elizabeth. "You're a pure-blood, aren't you Lizzie?"

In truth, Elizabeth was not a pure-blood. She was a half-blood, her mother being a muggle and her father the wizard. Lizzie had grown up without any prejudices towards blood-purity, but she didn't think it was the same for her roommates.

"No, actually," Lizzie started, her nerves suddenly building up as Pansy gasped. "My mum is a muggle, and my dad is a pure-blood."

No-one spoke for a while. Pansy was staring daggers at Lizzie with such a painful intensity that Lizzie had to break the stare. Of course, Lizzie had guessed that she had upset the delicate pure-blood balance of the dorm.

"Well, at least you're not a one of those mudbloods."

...

Little flustered Lizzie was on her way to her first lesson, the Slytherin tie around her neck like a ball-and-chain. Hundreds of students were milling around in the corridors, barging and bumping into Lizzie as she passed through.

"Lizzie!" she heard a voice call from behind her.

She turned to see her big sister striding towards her like an angry storm, with several large and heavy-looking books in her arms and her blonde hair flying around wildly in the wind. William followed three steps behind. Not unlike Lizzie, Rowan's hair was just as curly, like golden rays of sunshine around her face. William seemed to be the only sibling who didn't inherit his mother's wild hair, as his own brown locks fell in almost-straight waves cropped close to his ears.

"What did you do?" Rowan questioned like a rampaging Veela.

"I didn't do anything! It knew about the rest of our family being Gryffindors and it said something about courage but it said I was different-"

"What did it mean by 'different'?" Will demanded. The corridors were beginning to empty, and his thunderous voice was echoing on the ancient stone walls.

Lizzie lowered her tone. "It said I had more ambition than the rest of you," Lizzie paused to gauge her elder siblings' reaction, but their expressions remained in the furious position it had been in before, their green eyes piercing down to her soul with pure rage. "And I had a strong sense of loyalty or something."

William rubbed his thumb and index finger over his brow, letting out a long sigh as he did. "There's got to be a mistake," he said.

"Does it really matter that I'm not in the same house as you? I mean, we can still see each other after lessons and at dinner and stuff?" said Lizzie hopefully.

"Of course we can't!" Rowan burst out. "We can't sit together at dinner because you have to sit at your own house's table," Her fury somehow reaching a new height. "And if I'm seen with you anywhere else in the castle my friends won't like me anymore!"

Lizzie gasped. Was her sister really putting her prejudices ahead of her own _sister?_ Her mouth widened in shock as Rowan's snapped shut.

"It's not… not my-" Lizzie to a deep breath before screaming. "I couldn't help it!" Lizzie stormed off with an angry sadness in her chest and tears rolling down her face.

Lizzie could not believe what Rowan had just said. She began to question whether her sister should have been put in Gryffindor in the first place. Was her reputation more important than family?

"Late on the first day, Miss Penley," a strict, nasal voice called.

_Oops. _

Lizzie had walked into her potions lesson ten minutes late. There was a man all clad in black at the front of the dark classroom, with greasy hair matching the colour of his robes. He had stern looking features, a large nose like a crow's and a down-turning mouth.

Each head in the classroom had turned to face her little frame in the doorway, and swore she could feel each pair of eyes watching her every move with a critical stare.

"I-I'm sorry p-professor," Lizzie stuttered, trying to come up with a weak excuse and wiping the fat tears from her cheeks. "I got lost."

...

Lizzie couldn't really complain about her first day. Aside from a disastrous purple explosion in potions (which, strangely, left her with dark blue hair) and her incident with Professor Flitwick when she hit him in the head with a cup as she tried to perform a _Wingardium Leviosa_, she had managed to make a few friends.

Lizzie had managed to wash out most of the blue tinge leftover from potions, but she was still shaking plum coloured dust from her dark curls as she made her way back to her dorm room. When she did finally arrive, her roommates were all sat in the centre whispering quietly and giggling. As Lizzie crested the stairs, each head turned to stare daggers at her for the second time today.

It was Pansy who spoke first. "We've all had a discussion," she said, gesturing to the other girls who nodded confidently. "And we've decided you can't join our group."

"What group?" said Lizzie, furrowing her brows in confusion.

Daphne spoke next, her perfect blonde curls bouncing as she moved. "Well, sorry Lizzie, but you're not like us. You're not a pure-blood. So we don't want to be friends with you."

Pansy's mouth opened, but chubby Millicent butted in. "It's not that. If your mum was a witch we'd be friends with you. But she's not. She's a Muggle."

Surprisingly, Tracey Davis was remaining stoically quiet, looking down occasionally to push her glasses further up her nose.

Pansy finally got a word in. "You can't talk to us. Don't act like you know us when you see us around school, and don't even bother telling anyone. They won't listen."

Lizzie gulped and nodded, holding back tears. "Okay then."

The girls turned around, and promptly began giggling. Lizzie dragged her feet across the floor and climbed slowly into bed.

First, her sister had practically disowned her for something she couldn't help, and second, she'd been kicked out of a friendship group she'd been in for all of five minutes. To make that matter worse, she'd be spending seven years with the very same girls.

_It probably could've gone better._

That night, Elizabeth took back everything she'd ever thought about each house.

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**Thoughts would be greatly appreciated in reviews ****(which you will get a metaphorical cookie for).**

**~Rain**


	2. Beginnings

**Hello my lovelies! Here is chapter 2 for you!  
A big thank you to my speedy beta PatronusCharms for standing in for my regular beta. You get cookies!**

**HAVE FUN!**

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_**Chapter 2: Beginnings**_

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_Come on Liz, you can do this! You can get involved with one thing. Just one little thing!_

Elizabeth stared back at her reflection in the mirror. _Start of third year and you're already making an effort. Good on you!_She thought.

Green- as Elizabeth was shocked to discover- actually suited her. At the very start of term in her third year, she would be trying out for the Slytherin Quidditch team. She'd already put on her gear, pulling and rearranging the green and silver tryout jersey with her hands. As much as she wanted to feel different, she didn't.

She was still the same old Elizabeth Penley. (She'd stopped going by 'Lizzie' in second year after to receiving the nickname of 'Loser Lizzie' from Draco Malfoy and his consorts- including Pansy's little gang). She still had her waist length aggressive dark brown curls, same short stature, same shaped nose, same lips – the top lip a little too full to match the bottom- same rounded cheeks and same strange eyes. Unusually, one of her eyes was the same forest green shade as her siblings' (who she'd barely spoken to in school after the first day- at home they behaved like nothing was wrong) and the other was a deep brown.

_This is it;_she told herself, taking her wand from her bed and placing it in her pocket. _Come on, or you'll be late._

_…_

Emerald-streaked blurs twisted and turned in the air above the Quidditch pitch, _whooshing_ and _whirring_ as they went. Elizabeth looked at the gaggle of hopefuls stood in the centre of the stadium, and saw only one girl amongst the male mess.

The girl had a soft, heart-shaped face with angular cheekbones and a rounded chin. Her almond shaped eyes were a bright blue, and her thinly plucked eyebrows were shaped into a deceivingly perfect arch that followed the slight curve of her eye. A short button nose sat atop plump lips, and dirty blonde hair, thick and almost shoulder-length, hung straight down on her head. The soft features of the girl's face were merely a reflection of her entire body structure, and everything—from lovely long legs to her tiny midriff— and all things were screaming with confidence. She stood with a slight slouch, leaning on her shiny black Nimbus 2001 and rocking ever so faintly. Elizabeth was quite positive she'd never seen the girl before, and yet she was in the very same house. Odd.

Elizabeth approached the group, her nerves building and rising with each step, then stopped and faded into the throng of aftershave.

"Hi," a crisp, clear voice said from beside her. "Beater or chaser?"

Elizabeth turned to the voice, and saw the blonde-haired blue eyed girl smiling at her.

"Um, chaser, I hope," said Elizabeth, spinning her broom in her hand. "What about you?"

"Beater," the girl said. "Although, I wouldn't mind a crack at being keeper either. But that sod Flint over there only lets you try out for one position." The girl raised a manicured finger to point at a boy with jet black hair pacing in front of the crowd.

"He's the _captain_," she stated sarcastically. "You've got to be good, or he won't let you in. Ever wondered why you've never seen girls on the team?"

Come to think of it, she had. Elizabeth had seen almost every single match of Quidditch, and every other house had girls on the team except Slytherin. She nodded.

"He says he's never found a good enough player, but you know what it really is?" she paused, glancing at Flint to make sure he wasn't listening in. "He thinks girls shouldn't play Quidditch."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed into slits. "That can't be true." She said whilst shaking her head, her ponytail swishing as she did.

"Have you never been in the common room? It's practically all he talks about, him and that twat Malfoy. We might not make the team, even with that Theodore Nott helping us out." the girl lifted her eyes to the players above once more. "I'm Amelia by the way, Amelia Holland." She said, keeping her gaze on the game.

"Elizabeth Penley," the crowd began talking in excited voices as the players on their brooms touched down. "What do you mean about that Nott boy?"

"Well, he's Flint's subordinate, or you could say his co-captain. Snape assigned him to the team when Flint played up in our second year. Nott's a 'fair tryout for all' and kind of lad."

Elizabeth nodded, remembering a Theodore Nott from some of her lessons, but failing to put a name to the face.

"Alright, we're gonna run you through some quick drills, then sort you out into teams for a game. Got it?" a player shouted. The crowd nodded.

"That's Theo," Amelia whispered, pointing at the speaker. It was then that Elizabeth recalled who he was.

With a quaffle and his broom in hand, Theodore Nott stood tall in the centre of the field. His brown hair, was wild and tousled from his high-speed flights and falling in partially waved strands just above his big brown eyes. A set of full, pink tinged lips sat above a rounded chin in a beautifully structured jaw line. He held himself like a king, head high and back straight. And yet, he was still the gangly, thin-looking boy who'd teased her at the feast.

Elizabeth locked eyes with Theodore for a split second as he was surveying the shuffling crowd. He smirked as she looked away.

…

_Shit shit shit shit shit shit!_

Elizabeth was high in the air with a quaffle tucked under her arm, ducking and diving on her way towards the goal hoops at an eye-watering speed. Behind her was a player from the opposing 'team', who seemed dead-set on injuring Elizabeth beyond repair just to get the quaffle. The player began to gain speed, pulling up to the side of Elizabeth and shifted as if to barge her from her broom, but she dropped altitude and watched him swing uncontrollably in the open air. Elizabeth laughed with adrenalin. Her eyes flickered to Flint, who was hovering on the edge of the pitch watching the hopefuls with a critical eye.

And then, in the split second it took for her to notice the bludger almost collide with her chest, it was gone, replaced by Amelia's tiny form atop her broom. The beater gave her a wide smile before banking and swiftly flying to the other side of the pitch.

Elizabeth set her sights on the centre goal post, which that monster of a keeper Miles Bletchley was currently guarding.

Elizabeth already had a plan in motion.

She swapped the quaffle to her left hand and swiftly ducked as a chaser attempted to steal it from her grasp. Then, with a deep breath, faked a throw to the left hand post and felt a smile spread across her face as Bletchley moved from his position.

In one swift and powerful lob, Elizabeth launched the quaffle into the recently vacated hoop.

"Ten points to Team 1!" Amelia shouted with an undeniable sense of excitement.

Effectively, the game ended once Elizabeth's team had reached 100 points (30 of which were earned by Elizabeth herself). Elizabeth had never felt so exhilarated in her life.

"You were brilliant!" Amelia bellowed as Elizabeth touched down.

The young chaser was smiling like a first year Hufflepuff at a feast. "No, you were! You saved me from practically every bludger that got close!"

Amelia was about to reply, but her gaze flickered over Elizabeth's shoulder. "Nott's looking at you," She whispered. Elizabeth half turned before Amelia grabbed her shoulders and brought her back where she was. "Don't look!"

"Why is he looking at me?" asked Elizabeth, watching Amelia's eyes move from her to Theo every so often.

"Probably because you're the best chaser Slytherin's seen in a while." Came her reply.

"What? I'm not _that_ good," she stated. "I only scored 3 goals."

"Elizabeth, being a good chaser isn't just about scoring goals."

…

_Quidditch meeting in the common room tonight at 2:00am. All required to attend. _

_Captain M. Flint_

Why he had chosen to send a letter like it was some kind of secret Ministry mission was beyond her. Lying in bed, Elizabeth twisted the paper around in her hands as she waited for the clock on the wall to finally read five to two.

Elizabeth pondered whether or not she would make the team. One the one hand, she thoroughly enjoyed the game and was itching to get back on her broom. But on the other, what Amelia had said had dampened her hopes.

_He thinks girls shouldn't play Quidditch._

Did she and Amelia even have a chance?

Elizabeth pushed the duvet from her legs and silently placed her feet on the floor as to not wake her sleeping roommates. With heavy footed steps she headed for the stairs.

By the time she reached the common room, every single person she'd seen tryout was there except Amelia. Elizabeth lingered by the arch leading to the dorms as she looked over the group. At least that Theodore had his back to her. She didn't think she'd be able to handle another one of his weird stare-downs without the guidance of her new friend.

Flint started the meeting. "Everyone's here, right, so we can get started-"

"Wait," Elizabeth spoke up quietly. "We're missing one." All eyes turned to her.

"Who?" Flint asked.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "Are you serious? There were literally only two girls who tried out, and I was one of them." She huffed. Where was Amelia? Did she even get a letter?

Draco Malfoy cleared his throat. "Well it doesn't matter anyway. So we've decided on the new players and-"

"Aren't you supposed to go through the head of house first?" Elizabeth interrupted again. Both Flint and Malfoy stared daggers straight at her, and she could swear she heard a chuckle come from the darkened shadow of Nott sat on the sofa. Elizabeth grimaced and held up her hands in defeat. "Carry on."

"So we have our Seeker, Draco Malfoy," Flint said as the platinum haired boy smirked like he'd just been awarded head boy. "Keeper, Miles Bletchley, beaters-"

A figure burst in from the brick entranceway. "Sorry I'm late, you haven't started without me have you?" said breathy, tired voice. Amelia came running down towards the seating area to stand beside Elizabeth.

"I swear to Salazar if I get interrupted one more time none of you are ever playing Quidditch on this team!" Flint growled angrily.

The girls giggled. "Where've you been?" Elizabeth asked. Amelia just shook her head.

"As I was saying, keeper will still be Bletchley, our beaters are Derrick and Holland, and our chasers are Nott, myself, and Warrington,"

Elizabeth had planned on congratulating Amelia, but a crushing feeling built up inside of her. As she was about to let out one hell of a rampage, another voice stopped her in her tracks.

"That wasn't what we agreed on," Theodore Nott said, a distasteful tone in his voice.

"You are not the captain, Nott, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut," Flint retorted, clenching his fists so tightly it looked as if his knuckles were about to split open.

Theodore stood. "I could. But then I could also go to Snape, then I might _not_ keep my mouth shut."

Flint's eyes darkened, flickering between the towering figure of Theodore and Elizabeth.

He grumbled. "I'll rethink my decision. We'll have another meeting tomorrow."

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**Got a fresh batch of cookies straight out of the metaphorical oven for any reviewers! ;D**

**~Rain**


	3. Attitudes

***UPDATED***

**Well this is a little late eh? I was busy with college and blah blah blah. Thank you to my spectacular beta Despense for telling me what doesn't make sense. Cookies for you my lovelie! **

**Enjoy!**

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**_Chapter 3: Attitudes_**

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"Nott?" Elizabeth called, scrambling out of her last lesson and catching sight of his tousled hair and dark eyes.

_"You're on the team," Flint said, his grimace worsening as he did. "Practise is next week. Wednesday after lessons."_

_"Really?" Elizabeth nearly squealed, but her face suddenly dropped. "Who- who am I replacing?" Elizabeth shuffled her feet and pulled her cloak tighter around her to fight the nightly chill in the common room._

"Theo! Hey!" She called louder fighting her way through the throngs of students in the corridors to reach him. He still hadn't heard her.

_"Well, it's obviously not me or Nott, is it?" he said sardonically._

_"But, what about Warrington? I feel bad for taking-"_

_"You haven't taken his place. He said he wouldn't be on the team if he wasn't keeper." He said through clenched teeth._

It _was_ as if every word he said caused him pain.

As she finally reached Theodore Nott stood with a group of green ties, he turned and shot her a look of pure annoyance. "What?" he growled under his breath, stepping away from his friends.

Elizabeth recoiled as if she'd been slapped square in the face. "What's got you so wound up? I never said than-"

"Yes yes okay I get it, 'thank you for the spot' and all that. Now if you don't mind, I'm busy." He stiffly turned away from her, leaving her shocked and open mouthed in the middle of the corridor. With an aggravated puff, she barged past him and stormed off to the common room. What had gotten into him?

Elizabeth's first impressions of Theodore were relatively okay. He seemed nice, a strong leader and a hell of a Quidditch player. He'd even gone out of his way to convince Flint into letting her on the team. Why was he acting like this?

Elizabeth strode angrily through the brick entrance and stopped herself short.

_Shit._

Of course she'd forget. The young Slytherin wheeled around with full intentions of sprinting towards the Library to finish a Potions essay due for the next day. Only as she put her left foot in front of her right, she barrelled straight into a dark, menacing figure and tumbled to the floor, scattering her books and papers in a mess surrounding her.

"How about you watch where you're fucking going next time?" Flint growled.

Elizabeth stared daggers at Flint while gathering her books. She could still feel the burning anger in her veins, the remnants of her encounter with Nott and his terrible attitude, and she couldn't help but release some of it on her new captain. "How about you get your head out of your arse and stop acting like such a cocky twat?"

Flint's eyes narrowed into slits, rage seeping off him in waves. He harshly grabbed Elizabeth's forearms on pulled her inches from his face. "The only reason you're on this team is because of me. Don't you ever speak to me like that again, or you'll be gone before you can even say snitch. Got it?"

Elizabeth nodded stoically, half fear and half anger clogging up her vocal chords. Flint roughly pushed her down to the ground and stalked off in the direction of the dorms, leaving her to gather up the remains of her damaged work.

…

It grew quieter and quieter as the afternoon drew to a close and the students fled from the confines of the library to return to the dorms. Elizabeth had been sat since her almost terrifying encounter with the Quidditch captain and not doing her homework. She couldn't even focus properly on the quill in her hand to write anything other than half of a sentence. Merlin Flint grated on her nerves. What was his problem? It wasn't even her who asked for a place anyway!

And then that was another matter entirely. Why was Nott being such a prick? Elizabeth, after all, was only being nice and thanking him. No wonder people think Slytherins are absolute wankers.

She was so deep in her memories of today's events that when someone dropped a pile of books onto the desk, she jumped a mile out of her skin. Elizabeth looked up to see the smirking face of her new Slytherin team mate.

"Merlin, why not give me a heart attack next time!" Elizabeth choked out breathlessly.

Amelia giggled. "Nice to see you too, Lizzie," came her reply. She plonked herself down on the seat across from Elizabeth and began rifling through her rather large stack of books, her short messy hair bobbing and shifting as she did.

"Can you not call me that please?" Elizabeth said through gritted teeth.

"Why? Elizabeth's so long winded. Lizzie's a nice enough-"

"But can you just not?"

Amelia's confused expression didn't escape Elizabeth's notice. "What's gotten into you? You seem a bit tense,"

Elizabeth shifted in her seat, nervously moving her aggressive curls from the nape of her neck. "Nothing, just had a long day,"

Amelia scoffed. "Yeah, that was the worst excuse in the world. Tell me what happened, will you? Moping around really does nothing for my image of you,"

And she did. Elizabeth told Amelia every detail of the day's events, from the news of getting on the team (at which point Amelia squealed so loud Elizabeth worried that Madame Pince would storm over red faced and raring to stun a student) to her strange encounter with an angry Flint.

"I knew it!" Amelia exclaimed as Elizabeth's soliloquy had finished.

"You knew wh-"

"That Flint was a weirdo!" Amelia was tapping excitedly on the desk.

"How on earth does this prove he's a weirdo? All I got was that he was an angry twat looking for some trouble,"

Before Amelia could even open her mouth to reply, Elizabeth looked at her watch and gasped. "It's nearly lights out, we need to go. Now!"

…

"Shh! Someone's coming!" Amelia dragged Elizabeth around a corner as quick and quiet footsteps echoed along the empty corridors. The girls held their breath as a dark figure rounded the corner and strode nervously past them, turning his head slightly to lock eyes with Elizabeth before continuing on his way.

Her breath caught in her throat.

It wasn't a teacher. It wasn't even a prefect. It was Theodore Nott.

Elizabeth stepped out from the wall. "Nott?" she said in a hushed whisper. The tall figure stopped dead in his tracks, saying nothing. "It's nearly lights out, you know. The common rooms' that way," she gestured in the opposite direction he was walking in.

Turning slightly, he nodded in acknowledgement, the muscles in his jaw clenching tightly. "I have… something to do. Good evening, Penley." with an even faster gait than before, he nearly sprinted away from the girls.

Amelia and Elizabeth looked at each other in disbelief. "What the fuck could keep him out of his dorms this time of night?" Amelia whispered, nodding in the direction he had disappeared.

Elizabeth set a shaking foot on the ground with intents to follow her housemate, but Amelia grabbed her elbow before she could move another muscle. "You are not getting in trouble because of him."

* * *

**Well? Review review review! It would be brilliant to know what you think! **

**~Rain**


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